Opinion: Bulls, Stormers joust for quarter-final prize in United Rugby Championship

Jon Cardinelli

04 Apr 2022 9:50 AM

The race for top spot in the South African division and for home advantage in the United Rugby Championship play-offs may come to a head when the Stormers host the Bulls in Cape Town, writes Jon Cardinelli.

Context is important.

Last October, the Bulls, Lions, Sharks and Stormers were written off after they combined for four wins in 16 URC games staged in European conditions. Some critics slammed the decision to expand the competition, and declared that the South African teams were out of their depth.

The more measured and experienced commentators, however, highlighted the inexperience of the touring teams and the fact that the Springboks were unavailable for their franchises for the first part of the URC.

It’s something to bear in mind five months later, as we assess the strength of the respective URC sides following a period of South African domination.

Six Nations had its say in results

Many of the recent matches overlapped with the Six Nations tournament. For the most part, the European teams were without their Test stars for the tours to South Africa. This had an impact on margins and results.

The four South African franchises combined for 15 out of 16 URC wins on home soil. The local teams claimed 10 four-try bonus-point victories, while the visiting sides secured a losing bonus point – for defeats within seven points or fewer – on just three occasions.

So what have we learned from the recent matches in South Africa – and indeed the matches played by South African teams in Europe last October?

Teams are going to struggle – particularly without their more experienced players and Test stars – when they travel overseas for games staged in unfamiliar conditions.

It may be some time yet before the South African sides come to terms with playing matches in the northern-hemisphere winter, and European teams adapt to the summer heat and – in terms of the highveld – the altitude in South Africa.

Home advantage is going to be all-important in the play-offs. While the weather will be more temperate in both hemispheres when the knockout matches are staged in the June, it’s fair to say that the team that’s forced to travel abroad will be at a disadvantage.

The South African teams have built up some momentum over the past few weeks, and the Bulls, Sharks and Stormers are well placed for the play-offs.

While those franchises will be jousting for a first-place finish in the South African division – the winner will automatically qualify for the 2022/23 Champions Cup – they will also be pushing for the right to host a play-off.

None of those teams will want to travel, for example, to the home grounds of Leinster and Ulster in the do-or-die stages.

The next round of matches will be particularly important. The Stormers (sixth) will host the Bulls (seventh) in Cape Town, while the Sharks (eighth) will face the Lions (12th) in Durban. None of the three South African contenders can afford to stumble at this crucial stage of the tournament.

In terms of the schedule, the Bulls have the best run-in to the play-offs. After playing the Stormers in Cape Town, they will tackle Benetton and Glasgow in Pretoria. If they continue to progress, they will fancy their chances of beating the Ospreys in Wales. A four-from-four return is possible.

The Stormers will host Glasgow and Leinster, before facing Scarlets in Llanelli in the final round. The Sharks have an even tougher draw, with the derby against the Lions followed by three fixtures against Irish sides – home matches against Leinster and Connacht and an away game against Ulster.

A Sharks side stacked with Springboks should be too strong for the Lions in Durban. It’s far harder to call the north-south derby between the Stormers and Bulls – a monumental game in the context of the URC play-off race as well as the scrap for top spot in the South African standings.

The Stormers have shown some impressive form at home, but the Bulls are playing a more complete brand of rugby and will be tough to stop.

If the Bulls manage to clear a significant hurdle in Cape Town, they may well crack on to secure a home quarter-final. That would mark an incredible comeback given that they began 2022 at the bottom of the South African table.

Bulls